MP, Labour
This call has been supported by Ampy Metering, which is urging the government to end months of indecision on the future of smart meters in the UK. The company has been involved in the world’s largest rollout of smart meters in Italy – the 30 million smart meters installed by Italian utility Enel – where power consumption in smart homes has dropped by an average five per cent.
Ampy Metering’s business development director David Robinson commented: “Average power consumption in U.K. homes is rising by around 1.5 percent each year. This is increasing domestic carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of tonnes each year and bumping-up bills for consumers.
“Smart meters have the potential to help householders save up to £100 ($200) per year on their electric and gas bills, while Energy Saving Trust data shows that they could reduce domestic carbon emissions by 7.4 million tonnes per annum.
“The government supported the rollout of smart meters in last year’s Energy White Paper (May 2007), but is failing to make a crucial decision about next steps for smart meters in the UK. Ending this speculation and providing a mandate for the energy industry will enable householders to appreciate the financial and ecological benefits of smart meters in the next few years, as opposed to having to wait until the next decade.”
The government is currently running four smart meter trials across the UK and 15,000 smart meters will be trialed in homes by the end of 2010. A government decision on the future of smart meters in the U.K. is expected within the next few weeks.
